


Puzzle Pieces

by hopecanbeyoursword



Series: can't let you go, your hand prints on my soul [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Trailer, Awesome Clint Barton, Carol Danvers & Peter Parker friendship, Found Family, Iron Dad, Irondad, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Natasha and Clint find out Coulson is alive, No Spoilers, Parent Tony Stark, mention of the next generation of the Avengers, since I haven't seen Endgame and this is just my version based off official trailers, spider son, spiderson, the fate of those not directly mentioned can be inferred by reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-04-25
Packaged: 2020-01-31 21:42:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18599977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopecanbeyoursword/pseuds/hopecanbeyoursword
Summary: The fight is over, and they won. In the aftermath, those who remain find a family with each other.





	Puzzle Pieces

Peter blinked as a bright light filled his vision. His eyes were wet, tears spilling down his face, and it felt hard to breathe.

And then there was a familiar voice at his side, trying to comfort him,

“Hey, kiddo. I’ve got you, you’re okay.” The voice sounded choked up, and Peter wanted to reassure the voice that there was no reason to be sad. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again, you hear me, Pete?” There were fingers running through Peter’s hair, and the teen leaned into the comforting touch.

“Mr. Stark,” Peter replied blearily, the man’s face coming into focus above him. “You saved me. I always knew you would.”

“Always,” Tony promised. “Anything for you, kiddie.”

 

* * *

 

Peter wanted to sleep, but the voices around him were too loud. He could hear everyone breathing, hear the heartbeats of everyone on board the space ship. The cacophony hurt his ears, and he tried to cover his ears with his hands.

“Hey, you okay?” an unknown voice broke through the rest of the noise.

Peter forced his eyes open, realizing it was a mistake the moment the light hit his eyes. He shut them immediately, a small whine slipping out. “Who’re you?” he managed to ask.

“My name’s Harley. I helped bring you guys back.”

“Mmm…” Peter mumbled back. The noise was getting to be too much, and he needed it to stop. “It’s too much.”

“What’s too much?” Harley asked.

“Dialed up to eleven,” was all Peter was able to get out. He curled up into a ball, trying to cover his eyes and ears. He could feel tears forming.

“Uh, we have a problem over here.” Harley stood up from his spot next to Peter, who was laying on one of the few cots aboard the ship. There were others on the other cots, mostly those who had just come back. He wandered over to the next room, where those who didn’t need to rest were. “Peter doesn’t seem to be doing too well.”

“What’s happening?” Tony immediately turned away from the conversation he was having with Nebula and Carol. He ignored the worried questions they asked, turning the comms device off. “What does he need?”

Harley shrugged. “He said something about ‘dialed up to eleven’ before he curled up into a ball.” He was worried about the other teenager, but there was no physical injury he could see. He was unsure as what to do.

“Oh, Pete,” Tony whispered, voice fond and sympathetic. “I’ve got this.” He made his way quickly towards where Peter was curled up, kneeling down next to him, ignoring the creaking coming from his knees. “Hey, kiddo. I know it hurts. Let’s get this on you, hm?” He had the mask of Peter’s suit in his hand. “It will filter light and noise for you. And Karen’s there, if you want.”

With a little coaxing, Tony was able to get Peter to lift his head enough to pull the mask on. As soon as it was on, Peter relaxed, dropping his head onto the pillow.

“Thank you, Mr. Stark,” Peter mumbled as the tension left his body, leaving him feeling achey. “I’m gonna sleep.”

“I’ll be here when you wake up,” Tony promised as he pulled the blanket of the teen’s body. “Always.”

 

* * *

“You got a good one,” Natasha murmured to Tony as they glanced over at Peter. “He’s good for you.” She had been on Tony’s team, and had gone with him to space. 

Tony didn’t respond, choosing to keep his eyes on the sleeping teenager. “I’m surprised you’re not yelling at me for dragging him into all of this.”

“Based on what I know about him, he would’ve eventually gotten involved anyway. At least you can prepare him. It’s good he has someone to guide him. He’s going to be better than us. He’s got a good heart, and a good head on his shoulders.”

Tony smiled softly at her. He knew it was true.

The moved away from the cots, wanting all those asleep to stay that way as long as possible. They walked in silence towards an empty room, the large window allowing them to see all of space as it passed by.

“What are you going to do when we get back?” Tony broke the silence.

Natasha shrugged. She didn’t have anything planned, past undoing what Thanos had done. After that, everything was up in the air.

“If you need a place to stay,” Tony’s voice was hesitant. “You all still have a room at the compound.

“All of us?” Natasha raised an eyebrow.

Tony nodded, keeping his gaze straight ahead. “They’ve been there since the compound was built. Haven’t changed anything.”

“I’m sorry for leaving,” Natasha’s face was wiped of emotion, but her voice was sincere. “I knew it would hurt you. But I couldn’t let them get trapped in the Raft. I had to do what was needed to make sure everyone was relatively safe.”

“I know,” Tony responded. There was nothing more that he needed to say. He knew Natasha cared more than she showed, that she needed them all to be safe. They were her family, and even if it hurt to leave some behind, she needed to ensure they’d all be okay. Hesitantly, he wrapped an arm around her, hugging her for a moment. They rarely showed affection towards each other, but in the wake of everyone that had happened over the past few years, it seemed appropriate.

She let herself lean into it for a moment, her walls down. They were nearing home, where they’d all be checked over in the med bay. Some of them had very obvious injuries, and others would need therapy for a long time. They’d never be the same again, but for those alive, they had each other.

Home. It was weird to her to know she was still allowed to think of an Avengers building as home. For a long time, she bounced around, place to place, never having a place, or person, to call home, family. It wasn’ t until Clint showed up that that changed. He was supposed to get rid of her, but he didn’t. He took a chance on her, and for that, she’d never be able to fully express her gratitude. The rest of them took time for her to add, but they had become family along the way. A messed up, not-good-at-talking-about-emotions family. They had fallen apart, but with the battle against Thanos, they had the potential to come back together. Before that, Natasha never thought she, and the rest who had left, would be welcomed back, not in the way Tony was offering. However, everything they had been through, everyone they had lost and fought to bring back, brought them back together. Not in the same way, because it would’ve been naive to believe they’d all make it out alive, and because they had added so many new people. But those still standing could be together, support each other in a way Natasha had tried to distance herself from. The training she had gotten in the Red Room was so ingrained, and she knew it would never truly leave. But she was working on it. Home seemed a good place to continue.

Natasha stared ahead as she spoke. “It’ll be nice to be home.”

It was the only answer she could give, and it was the one Tony had been hoping for.

 

* * *

Harley watched curiously the way Tony had comforted Peter before the other teen had fallen asleep, at ease with the Spider-Man mask pulled over his face.

It was odd to see the man so paternal, but it seemed fitting.

Harley didn’t have anything to do unto they got back to Earth, so he flipped through one of the random books he had found, waiting for Peter to wake up. He wanted to get to know the teen who had broken through Iron Man’s walls. Based on what he knew, they would at least have their interest in science and technology to talk about.

It was an hour until Harley noticed Peter waking up. He set the book down, making sure Peter saw him walk in, so as not to startle him.

“I think we should meet properly,” Harley put his hand out. “My name is Harley Keener, and I helped bring you back with the help of an Iron suit that Tony made for you. I helped him during the incident with the Mandarin when everyone thought he was dead.”

“Uh, Peter. Parker.” Peter shook the offered hand, before pulling the mask up so it wasn’t covering his mouth. “Spider-Man. Stark Industries Intern.”

“Nice to meet you,” Harley grinned. “I think we’re going to get along great.”

 

* * *

 

“You did good,” Natasha praised her friend as she leaned against his shoulder. Out of everyone, he was the one she allowed herself to show the most compassion towards. It was because of him that she had the family she did now. He gave her a chance.

“Right back at you, ‘Tasha,” Clint smiled tiredly. Everything hurt, and he just wanted to sleep for ten years, but his family was back, and though bruised and bleeding, Natasha was right next to him. His important people were alive.

They were sitting in the med bay, the other remaining heroes spread out. The doctors were going around, trying to get to everyone as quickly and efficiently as possible.

One of the doctors made her way over to them, stopping first in front of Clint. “Now, what can I do for you?”

Natasha watched as her friend talked to the doctor, informing her of the injuries he had gotten. It was always interesting to watch him interact with new people. Everyone had an idea of who he was in their head, and he never fit their expectations. While he might be the Avenger most likely to make a joke or a pop culture reference, he was smarter than anyone gave him credit for. Part of it was his SHIELD training. The organization had a standard to uphold, and Clint had easily made it.

The rest, Natasha knew, was him. He had to make split second calculations to hit targets during missions, and he had been the one to understand how the tesseract worked. His humor was as much a part of him, but it tended to distract people from the rest of him. It worked, sometimes, in battle, as the enemy would underestimate him. Thus, they’d focus in taking the rest of them out, leaving Clint to take them out one by one. He liked it that way.

It had been him, who had seen an option for the fight that the rest of them hadn’t been able to see, and they had two geniuses with multiple PHDs working on the plan. It had saved lives, and Natasha doubted anyone on the team would ever underestimate her friend’s intelligence ever again.

Calling on the one SHIELD team that was still active, even though they had to hide in the shadows, had been a good move. They had yet to meet the leader of the team, but the agents who had answered the call had been more than helpful. After all, they were also fighting to bring back some of their own. With Daisy and Elena’s powers, and May and Jemma’s expertise in their respective field, all of the heroes were more easily able to defeat Thanos. It had given them another team, and more allies.

The agents had left after being cleared by medical, since they had Dr. Simmons to look after them if need be. They had to report to their leader on the status of the mission, and they wanted to reunite with those they had lost.

Natasha and Clint had been the last to say good-bye to them. They were glad there were still some agents out there, working to keep the world safe, even when they had to hide in the shadows. If they hadn't been Avengers, they would’ve likely been doing the same thing.

 

* * *

“Romanov. Barton.” The familiar voice was coming from the dark corner of the room. 

Natasha and Clint were immediately on edge, not believing what they were hearing. The owner of the voice had died years ago, right before the Battle of Manhattan had truly begun. The loss they carried with them through every mission after.

Clint had his bow raised. While he may have stopped using it as his sole weapon when he stopped going by Hawkeye, he was still the most proficient with it. Natasha had her newest pair of Black Widow bites ready.

“It can’t be,” Clint narrowed his eyes. “You’re dead.”

“Supposed to be.” The figure stepped out of the shadows, revealing Phil Coulson. “I’m surprised none of you worked it out before this. It’s not much of a secret anymore.”

“We’ve been busy,” Natasha supplied. “How?”

“Know anything about Project TAHITI?”

Natasha nodded.

“Fury used it on me. I’ve been with SHIELD this whole time. May, Elena, Daisy, Jemma. They’re part of my team. While you’ve been off doing Avengers stuff, we’ve also been saving the world from other threats.”

Despite the fact that it seemed real, neither Clint nor Natasha lowered their weapons.

“How do we know it’s really you?” Clint asked.

“This,” Coulson replied as he tossed them a device. He was not surprised when Clint edged closer, arrow aimed directly at his heart, while Natasha retrieved and analyzed the device. There had never been two agents who worked better together than Barton and Romanov. The closest comparison he had was Fitz and Simmons, but they weren’t as highly trained when it came to be out in the field.

“It’s him,” Natasha nodded at her partner. She watched as he lowered the bow, still looking at Coulson in disbelief.

The man sighed, rolling his eyes good-naturedly. “Now can I get a ‘it’s good to see you’ or some sort of reaction?”

“It’s good to see you,” Natasha responded, voice soft. “We missed you.”

Clint felt a surge of emotion. Everyone he thought he had lost over the years, Coulson, his family, were all back. Maybe he and Natasha weren’t supposed to know Coulson was back, but the man himself decided they deserved to know. Clint knew he’d probably be annoyed at Fury for a while for hiding Coulson’s existence, but he couldn’t care less about that in the moment. Even after he was cleared after being mind-controlled by Loki, not all SHIELD agents were willing to trust him again. But someone had advocated for him to stay, and if Clint had a guess, t would’ve been the man standing in front of him.

Clint pulled both Natasha and Coulson into a hug. Even with the loss he knew they would have to face, having two of the people he trusted most in his life made it feel more manageable.

 

* * *

 

 

“May,” Peter breathed as he spotted his aunt. She stood up the moment she saw him, tears in her eyes.

She was at his side a moment later, wrapping her arms around him. “Oh, Peter.”

He could feel her tears spilling on his shoulder, but he didn’t care. He let himself cry as she held him. She was his family. After his parents, after Ben. She had always been there for him.

He held on tightly to her, relieved to be with her again as she ran her fingers through his hair, whispering to him.

_I love you._

 

* * *

“Barton.” Tony raised an eyebrow. “To what do I owe this… pleasure?” Tony knew Clint was in the building— all of the remaining heroes had room at the compound, and since their last fight was still too fresh, had all agreed to stay awhile. Any family was welcomed, as well. However, Tony hadn’t been expecting a visit from almost the entire Barton clan.

Clint stood in front of him, his three kids with him.

“Apparently my kids are looking for your kid,” Clint responded. “Don’t know how they know each other.”

“Peter has a habit of doing a lot of things I don’t know about until later,” Tony rolled his eyes. “At least this time it won’t end with him trapped under a building.” That was one story he wished he had known about sooner, but now he knew how to help Peter when he had nightmares. “He’s with his aunt right now. I can send him to you later, if you want.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Clint reassured him. “The kids will find him later. I’m glad the kid has his aunt to look after him. She’s a good person.” It was odd for Clint to be talking about children with Tony Stark, but after watching Peter and Tony interact, it made sense. Of the original six, they were the parents. They had fought for their children, and they were now bonded in a way that had seemed impossible even a year ago.

“That she is,” Tony agreed. “She raised a hell of a kid.”

 

* * *

“Hey, Peter!” Carol called out as she entered the common room. She spotted the teenager she was looking for on the couch, the Barton children and Cassie around him as they watched a movie. Ava was in the opposite corner, watching, as if to ensure they stayed safe.

“Hi, Carol,” he beamed at her. In the time it had taken them all to heal, physically, since the loss would never leave, they had gotten close. She had taken him under her wing, training him, watching movies with him, and doing whatever else they could come up with. They were the future of the Avengers, and while Carol would be the leader, the next Captain of the team, it was clear she wanted Peter to be her second-in-command. He was capable, smart, and had a good conscious. He had training, and as long as he had guidance, he could become one of the best. They had each other’s back, and though he was young, she trusted him.

When he was older, she would entrust the team with him while she went off to protect other planets. Just because she had a new responsibility, didn’t mean she was going to abandon anyone else who needed help. She wouldn’t drag the others in unless she needed it, and they volunteered.

The team was working on rebuilding itself. The surviving heroes had made their choices. Some were retiring, stepping down to try and have a normal life. As normal as they could get, being former superheroes. Some were taking time off, and some wanted to keep going. The team was going to be bigger this time, more than just six like the original team. They were going to be better.

Carol immediately agreed to being a part of it, as long as she could continue saving other planets. Peter, Shuri and Harley also signed up to be part of the team, but as teenagers, had more restrictions. T’Challa was still going to be active, but he had to work on rebuilding his country first. Nebula would be going back to space, but they could call on her if they needed help. Scott, Hope and Ava would continue to be active, as well. Everyone else was still trying to figure out what they wanted.

They would be open to however wanted to join, and respect the choices of those who needed a break. Though, the heroes who were stepping down had promised that if another Thanos level threat emerged, they’d be willing to help.

Carol was confident that her team would be prepared, trained. There would not be another civil war. To ensure that, she made sure her team bonded off the field as much as possible without pushing it. It seemed to be working.

“Got you ice cream,” she nodded her head to the kitchen. “For all of you.”

“Thanks, Carol,” Peter smiled. “Oh! Hope called. Said she, Ava, and Scott are going to stop by tomorrow. They’re passing through, and want to join us for movie night.”

Carol hummed to herself as she gave Peter a thumbs up. The team was falling into place, a punch of puzzle pieces slotting together to become one. A team, friends, a family.

Exactly what they all needed.

 

* * *

Tony looked around at the people he had gathered in the room. Peter and Harley were talking quietly to each other near the window, hands gesturing as they did. Rhodey and Pepper were sitting on the couch, waiting for him.

His family was in the room. They were all there, alive. He watched them for a moment. He didn’t have a great childhood, never felt like he had a family except for maybe the original Jarvis. Rhodey had been the first to enter his life and never leave. His brother in everything except blood. Pepper, the love of his life. The woman who never failed to stay in stride with how fast his brain worked, who knew when to push him to get stuff done. Harley, the first kid to break through his walls, who helped him when everyone thought he was dead. The teenager who would, one day, when he was ready, take on the mantle of Iron Man. And Peter, the kid who was pretty much _his kid_ in every way that mattered. Who trusted and loved him the same way Tony did to him, who would, one day, make the world a better place with Stark Industries, who he was now the heir to.

They were his family, and even though they had all gone through a lot to be there, for their paths to cross, Tony, for the first time, decided all the pain was worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for following this series. This is where I planned for it to end, but I may explore the universe I created later on, in a new series. Mainly the new team.
> 
> I wanted the last part of this series to be up before Endgame came out in the US. I'll be seeing it soon, but please, for everyone else, don't spoil it. It's going to be hard saying goodbye to these characters, knowing we won't see them on the big screen again, but I thank them for their impact. I'm glad I got to watch this universe grow.


End file.
